Telenet presents De Dag in cooperation with VIER – an exciting drama series by Jonas Geirnaert and Julie Mahieu, a production of FBO and Woestijnvis and with support of VAF/Mediafonds

New cooperation models foster the production of Flemish fiction series.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016 —
Today Telenet, in cooperation with VIER, is presenting De Dag, a production of FBO and Woestijnvis and with support of VAF/Mediafonds. De Dag is an intelligent, impressive, and exciting drama series written by Jonas Geirnaert and Julie Mahieu. De Dag will be Telenet’s next major fiction project after Chaussée d’Amour. The new cooperation models for Flemish series ensure a win-win-win situation for viewers, for Telenet as a Flemish entertainment player, and for the channel, which can continue to produce and offer top-class fiction in this way.

Telenet CEO, John Porter, says: ‘Flemish viewers have a heart for local series. We want to offer clients the content that they like to see, and that is why we are continuing to invest in local top-class fiction. With De Dag, we’ve found a fantastic series which can stand alongside Chaussée d’Amour as the next ‘Telenet original’ with all the top-class content in our range. The storytelling method has never been used before in Flanders and ensures exciting viewing, a binge watch series to the core.’

‘But apart from investing in production, we also want to offer these things in every possible way in which people watch fiction nowadays: the entire spectrum, from binge watching to linear broadcasts. Viewers are getting more and more accustomed to a model which allows them to watch what they want, where they want, whenever they want. That requires investment from us and cooperation between the various players in new and original means of broadcasting, with ‘windows’ which boost each other. This is how we achieve a win-win-win situation for fiction lovers, for Telenet as a Flemish entertainment player, and for the channel, which can continue to produce and offer top-class productions.’

SBS CEO, Peter Quagebeur, says: ‘The cooperation with Telenet is a guarantee for VIER that we can continue to give opportunities to the wealth of creative talent in Flanders. Just as Callboys is the most viewed and talked-about fiction series of 2016, so, too, the originality and production value of De Dag and Chaussée d’Amour will make a difference to the programme mix of VIER in the next few years. As a broad commercial channel, VIER has consciously opted for ‘event-based fiction’ which is talked about a lot, viewed by the masses, and also viewed again increasingly often. By continuing to opt for creativity, we can also tap into international potential for this Flemish fiction. VIER is particularly pleased to join Telenet in this great project that also received the support of VAF/Mediafonds and therewith continue to shape the future of fiction in Flanders.

About De Dag

De Dag is an intelligent, haunting and thrilling drama series, a binge-watch series which makes it difficultit for the viewer to press “stop” and postpone the next episode.

The whole story occurs in one day. That day is divided into six timeslots, and each slot is shown twice: once from the perspective of the police and the press , once from the perspective of the perpetrators, the victims and family members. In other words, once outside the bank, and once inside.

This way of telling a story - previously never used in Flemish fiction- , creates a special kind of plot twist: what the viewer thinks he has seen in the previous episode, could seem completely wrong in the next one, when the events of the other side are exposed. This leads to a strong engagement as the viewer is continuously encouraged to think about the true facts and the role of each character in the events.

De Dag grabs the viewer by the throat. What weapons the police uses to surround the bank, doesn’t interest us: the preferred weapon of De Dag is the emotional impact of the tragedy on each of its characters.

De Dag, a Telenet production in cooperation with VIER and FBO/Woestijnvis and with the support of VAF/Mediafonds. First at Telenet and later at VIER, in the course of 2018.

Isabelle Geeraerts

About Telenet

As a provider of entertainment and telecommunication services in Belgium, Telenet Group is always looking for the perfect experience in the digital world for its customers. Under the brand name Telenet, the company focuses on offering digital television, high-speed Internet and fixed and mobile telephony services to residential customers in Flanders and Brussels. Under the brand name BASE, it supplies mobile telephony in Belgium.

The Telenet Business department serves the business market in Belgium and Luxembourg with connectivity, hosting and security solutions. More than 3,000 employees have one aim in mind: making living and working easier and more pleasant.

Telenet Group is part of Telenet Group Holding NV and is quoted on Euronext Brussel under ticker symbol TNET. For more information, visit www.telenet.be. Telenet is 57% owned by Liberty Global - the world's largest international TV and broadband company, investing, innovating and empowering people in more than 30 countries across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean to make the most of the digital revolution.